listen in

verb

listened in; listening in; listens in

intransitive verb

1
: to tune in to or monitor a broadcast
2
: to listen to a conversation without participating in it
especially : eavesdrop
listener-in
ˌli-sᵊn-ər-ˈin How to pronounce listen in (audio)
ˌlis-nər-
noun

Examples of listen in in a Sentence

it's not polite to listen in on other people's private conversations
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Elon Musk speaks as one of his young sons and President Donald Trump listen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 11, 2025. Lorie Konish, CNBC, 19 Feb. 2025 Moving in dissident circles gave him the opportunity to listen in on private exchanges that were of great interest to the Chinese government. Brian Nishii Tanya Pérez Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 Back in America, NSYNC appears on one tally that’s specific to listening in the U.S. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025 That means anyone can listen in, record them, and play them back over the same frequencies. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for listen in

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of listen in was in 1905

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Listen in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listen%20in. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

listen in

verb
1
: to listen to a broadcast
2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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